Haa’s beauty is unmatched. It makes perfect sense why Haa remained closed off for such a long time and perhaps its beauty is driven by this fact. Haa Dzongkhag only opened for tourism in the early 2000s. The landscape in Haa is varied, with elevations ranging from 800 meters to over 4000 meters, making it one of the few districts in Bhutan to have such a wide range of elevation.
Lower Haa, which includes Sombeykha and Gakiling Gewogs (group of villages) has a subtropical climate, where bird watching is popular. It is said that one can find similar species of birds from the eastern Bhutan district of Zhemgang, here.
Upper Haa shares a border with China. This district has much to offer from light hiking to intense trekking, bird watching, and authentic and immersive Bhutanese homestay experiences that even locals are just now beginning to appreciate.
Tour Overview:
Day 01: Arrival in Paro
Day 02: Haa
Day 03: Haa
Day 04: Thimphu
Day 05: Thimphu/ Punakha Day Excursion
Day 06: Paro
Day 07: Departure
Trip Cost for 6 Nights & 7 Days
$ 2235 (Single Traveler)
$ 2025 (Couple -per person)
$ 1875 (3 – 6 Travelers -per person)
$ 1755 (7- 9 Travelers -per person)
$ 1635 (10 Travelers & above – per person)
Price Includes
Price Excludes
Driving Duration: 30 Minutes
Elevation: 2250 m / 7382 ft
On Day 1 of your trip in Bhutan, you will spend the night in Paro, at a hotel of your choice where you will do some light sightseeing. We encourage you to do the sightseeing after checking in at the hotel. However this depends on your flight landing time, if your flight lands in the afternoon, it might be advisable to do the sightseeing first.
The sightseeing will be as follows:
Drive to the old road, atop the airport for the Paro Airport Bird’s Eye Viewpoint. Witness the Paro Valley and flights landing and taking off.
Visit Rinpung Dzong (fortress) situated at a commanding height overlooking Paro Valley. Built by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1646, this Dzong houses Paro’s monk body and the offices of the civil administration and is symbolic as the religious and secular center of all affairs of the valley. On this same route, visit Ta Dzong, a watch tower during olden times but now a museum. It is located a short hike from Rinpung Dzong. If you prefer getting there by vehicle, that can also be arranged.
In the evening, stroll through Paro town, famous for still maintaining traditional two-storey Bhutanese homes.
Overnight at the hotel in Paro.
Driving Duration: 65 km / 3 hours
Elevation: 3056 m / 9780 ft
After breakfast, we will drive to Haa via the Chele La pass, the highest navigable point in Bhutan at 3988 meters above sea level.
Stop for lunch in Haa town or if you prefer to have a picnic on the way, a packed lunch can be arranged as well. After lunch, check-in at a hotel of your choice. Since Haa is still new to tourism, there aren’t many hotels in this region. Therefore, we recommend farm stays, for an authentic experience.
We will then do some light sightseeing.
Lhakhang Karpo and Nagpo: These two 7th century lhakhangs predate the arrival of Guru Padamashanbhava. They are part of the 108 temples built by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gompo. An interesting fact is that King Songtsen never physically visited Bhutan. Karpo means white and Nagpo means black. Lhakhang Nagpo is smaller in size and is located a short hike from Lhakhang Karpo.
Drive around Haa town, and towards Damthang, in the north, the end-point of Haa.
Walk around the village of Yangthang and interact with locals.
Visit Aap Chundu’s (local deity) ground.
In the case of choosing to stay at a farm house, a different set of activities can be curated.
Overnight at the hotel in Haa.
Elevation: 3056 m / 9780 ft
The third day of your trip will be spent in Haa. Activities to do:
Driving Duration: 148 km /4 hours
Elevation: 2,250mts / 7,382ft
Drive to Thimphu. Here you will spend the majority of the day sightseeing, after lunch, of course.
List of attractions for sightseeing:
Memorial Chorten
Built in the memory of the late third king, this tall white stupa is a haven for people of all walks of life, especially the elderly, whose visit here can be a refuge from the noise of Thimphu.
Traffic Square
Aside from being called the last shangri la and a carbon negative country, Bhutan is also known for being the only country in the world with no traffic lights. Walk in and around the traffic square area and witness how the police officer skillfully directs the traffic.
Buddha Point
Standing 51.5 meters tall it is one of the largest statues of Buddha in the world. The statue is made of bronze and is gilded in gold. 125,000 smaller Buddha statues have been placed within the Buddha Dordenma statue. A fun fact about Buddha Point is that it used to be an after party spot for the youth before the city put measures to stop that from happening.
Zorig Chusum (Thirteen Arts and Crafts)
This school is dedicated to preserving Bhutan’s rich heritage of traditional arts and crafts. The 13 traditional Bhutanese arts and crafts were first categorized by the fourth Druk Desi of Bhutan, Tenzin Rabgay. Some of these crafts include: Calligraphy, Painting, Carving, and Clay Sculpting.
Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.
Elevation: 2,250 m / 7,382 ft
On your second day in Thimphu, you can either visit Punakha for the day, or spend it in Thimphu. If you choose to stay back here’s a list of things you could do:
Places to visit in Punakha :
Driving Distance from Thimphu to Punakha: 78 km (2 hours)
Elevation: 1,200 m / 3,900 ft
Overnight at the hotel in Thimphu.
Driving Duration: 65 km /1.5 hours
Elevation: 2200 m / 7218 ft
On your second last day in Bhutan, we will head to Paro. We usually do the Tiger’s Nest hike on the last day, depending on guests’ ability to make the hike. In either case, guests have the option to choose if they prefer to do something else.
Overnight at the hotel in Paro.
Day 07: Departure
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will then drive to the airport for your departure flight from Bhutan.
Please note that some of the sights/itineraries may change due to season, weather, national holidays, and special events. We maintain the right to alter the itinerary since tours are made in advance and unforeseen circumstances that mandate change may arise. Itinerary changes are made to improve your overall travel experience in Bhutan. Also please note that since hotels are pre-booked and paid for, any changes in itinerary later will cost cancellation/re-booking charges.
